User:Haydencomer/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Human impact on river systems

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I chose this article first because it is directly relevant to the California Water and Society course I am currently taking at Sacramento State. Secondly, I selected this article because it seems underdeveloped compared to other science related articles on Wikipedia and because it excludes some fundamental properties of river systems such as inflow of saline water from oceans or bays in high tides which contribute to the riparian ecosystem and to the methods in which humans interact with and utilize this environment.

Evaluate the article
In evaluating this article, the first point I noticed was that the lead section does not convey an authoritative tone which is typical of most science related articles found on the platform. Although the first sentence is generally acceptable, if somewhat simplistic, the second sentence is either convoluted in its syntax or just incorrect. It discusses the origin of human influence on river systems but uses the word "stated" in the second sentence which seemingly does not make sense in the context of the sentence overall.

Next, the article defines river systems as freshwater sources of water, and although this is generally true, many river systems have complex relationships with the oceans or seas into which they deposit their water. In point of fact, some of the most biodiverse and biologically productive riverine environments occur in delta and wetland habitats which are strongly influenced by surges of saline ocean seawater which moves great distances inland and creates a transition zone critical to many species. To simply label riparian environments as "freshwater habitats" without acknowledging this transition zone is to disregard a fundamental piece of its identity.

Additionally, as a Wikipedia article devoted to discussing human impacts on river systems, the sections describing the mechanics of these interactions are very underdeveloped. Nearly all the sections of the article are little more than three sentence paragraphs and offer few examples to contextualize the concept of human impacts. While the article does well in linking many words which will take the reader to other pages on Wikipedia, these links are overwhelmingly basic. For example, the article links to words and phrases such as "water bodies," "lakes," and "oceans" but does not offer deeper and more relative linkages to concepts like mining, agricultural diversions, or impacts to wildlife. As aforementioned, contextualized instances which describe anthropogenic impacts to river systems are lacking in this article.

Finally, the "Talk" Page of the article is present but the interactions are quite limited. User's are suggesting primarily mechanical revisions to the page such as amending the term "river behavior" used throughout the article or providing context to the terms "BP," "CE," and "cal." It is my opinion that this article could be bettered by not just minor mechanical changes but by providing much more information which would inform the reader on how human manipulation of river systems has occurred historically and how these actions impact wildlife present before, during, and after these anthropogenic alterations.